The Congress party says the press meet has been cancelled because Rahul Gandhi’s plane has not been allowed to land the Varanasi airport because the airstrip is closed due to Prime Minister’s departure.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) leaders say that the huge response to PM Narendra Modi’s Varanasi campaign has scared Rahul and Akhilesh.

Indian National Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday held a road show in Varanasi on the sidelines of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit.

Political heat picked up in Varanasi as Akhilesh Yadav’s wife Dimple Yadav joined in the mega road show, which witnessed a huge crowd cheering for both the leaders.

The Samajwadi Party-Congress road show began from ‘Kachehri chauraha’ area and will come to a crescendo at the ‘Girjaghar chauraha’.

Meanwhile, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati also held a rally at Jaunpur where Prime Minister Narendra Modi also addressed an election rally.

He also visited the Kaal Bhairav temple before leaving for Jaunpur where he held an election rally.

“Uttar Pradesh’s voters have already given majority to Bharatiya Janata Party. We will form a government in Uttar Pradesh, will waive loans of small farmers,” Modi said.

BSP Chief Mayawati, while holding a rally on the outskirts around Rohaniya said, “Bharatiya Janata Party and Samajwadi-Congress alliance are competing for second and third places in Uttar Pradesh elections.”

RJD chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav is also expected to address a rally in Varanasi to counter Prime Minister Modi’s rally today.

Narendra Modi will campaign in the Yadav-dominated areas on Monday. After two days of huge roadshows through Varanasi, Prime Minister Modi will campaign in Khushipur on Monday.

All eyes are now on the holy city Varanasi to see who wins this big battle as each party puts its best foot forward in the final push for the final phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

The campaigning for the final phase of the 7-phase Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections will end at 5 pm today.